


A New Reality

by orphan_account



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Autistic Character, Disaster Lesbians, Emotional Manipulation, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Gay, Height Differences, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, Mutual Pining, My First Fanfic, No Smut, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Unreliable Narrator, a lot of things are out of wack here, and follows that one ow timeline thing on tumblr...., be the change you want to see in the world, fareeha "Gay Disaster" amari, i saw no slow burn symmarah fics, i would say its canon compliant but....., ill do my best ok, so i did it, sorry lads but i cant write that, takes place one week after symmetra comic, you know the one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-06-14 03:02:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15379263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Satya was lucky for what she had at Vishkar, she knew she practically owed them her life. Even if she wasn't in debt to them, all of their ideals perfectly matched up with hers. Only a fool would drop such a deal.But it was only a matter of time before she realized what was really going on.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kakstan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kakstan/gifts).



> dedicated to my lovely friend cynthia HAPPY BIRTHDAY
> 
> ps: 100000000000000% read blizzards comic on sym first: https://comic.playoverwatch.com/en-us/symmetra-a-better-world  
> this takes place a week after that and if u dont read it ur gonna be real confused....
> 
> never written a fanfic before but  
> lets see how itll go

 

It was just another evening, a simple business trip to successfully convert one of the last few solid matter neighborhoods in India into hard-light. As Satya silently strolls along the aged dirt path, she moves her gaze to the many worn down looking homes, placed in untidy rows. Whenever she looked at the brick walls and metal sheeted roofs of a slum, it always gave her quite the abundance of unwelcome memories. She averts her gaze to the streets filled to the brim with protesters.

It was the norm when Vishkar wanted to upgrade a slum into hard-light, but it didn't make the sight much better to see. The situation distinctly reminded her of last weeks trip to the favela in Brazil. Satya blinks the intruding thought away—she had to stay on task. Satya felt the protesters hot glares upon her skin, but she ignores them as best as she could. The recommended course of action that Vishkar told their agents to take was staying as far away from the protesters as possible, and to try to avoid any conflict. Satya believes that it's awfully difficult to do so when you're wearing a Vishkar patented uniform. Doing her best to tune out any distraction the hecklers had for her, she put her brain on autopilot to finish her journey to the tall, blindingly bright Vishkar Center. It wasn’t very hard to find, considering it was nearly a skyscraper and the only building made of hard-light in the area. The path had gotten her shoes dusty. She made a mental note to clean them as soon as possible.

As she made her way to the negotiation room, Satya thinks that it's quite unfortunate that there were still those who thought these slums were worth protesting. Why could they not understand Vishkar was helping them? Why anyone would rather live in a disgusting slum than a beautiful city—Satya couldn’t wrap her head around it. Truth be told, the way some of the dissidents acted made her feel as if they didn’t deserve the deal Vishkar had given them. Of course, she would never say that aloud.

She stares up at the towering Vishkar Center, hesitating on her way inside. An undesirable anxiousness came simmering into her stomach. Her assigned task was to merely help to convince a local advocate that hard-light was unquestionably the most preferred option for this area with a team of other Vishkar members. A task so simple, anyone could do it. Yet, despite all of that, her mouth went dry—and she couldn't figure out why.

The entrance of the structure in front of her was rather plain but familiar. Each building looks the same, and each had the same two uses; setting up Vishkar meetings, and showing those who wanted to listen what hard-light tech could _really_ do. Most of the building was covered completely in glass, although she couldn’t exactly call the material that. She stood loitering in front of the large clear doors—lost in thought—until Sanjay Korpal came up behind her.

“Satya?” Although she knows the man is on the mission roster, she jumped at the sudden intrusion of his voice. 

“Are you alright?” He questions her, with a small tilt of his head.

Sanjay was, to put it tamely, an interesting man. Whenever Satya looks at him, he always looked as if he was faking a persona. Although, Satya was never quite good at understanding others facial expressions, and he was her superior. She couldn’t be thinking of ways to invalidate how a higher ranked Vishkar official acted.

Satya looks at Sanjay for a beat too long. She quickly blinks out of her daze and looks down.

“Certainly, I was just…” Satya struggles to find a proper word and then, once found, spun out her hand in emphasis. “Thinking.”

Sanjay gave a curt nod and an understanding smile before going on his route to the meeting room. She watches him go as she hazardly listens to the loud clacking of his shoes slowly grow smaller and smaller.

Satya, realizing she was still waiting outside, went through the large double doors, waiting for a bit longer than necessary to ensure she would not be in the same elevator as the man. Then, she began the same route Sanjay was taking. Typically, she was perfectly content with Sanjay’s presence. Yet, there was something more off about him than usual.

Perhaps it was only that she just noticed, maybe he was having a rather difficult week, or, most likely, it could be that Satya was _completely_ delusional, but she sensed a detachedness about him. When she recalls it, the times when he had spoken on her communicator during the Rio de Janeiro mission last week had been rather… alarming.

He had asked Satya, in an unbelieving tone, as to why she didn’t kill those attacking her in the building. Satya had been called something along the lines of cold-hearted by many more people then she’d like to admit (it was exactly 23), but she would never go as far as killing innocents just for a means to get information. That would be completely unnecessary. Despite what people may think of her, she wasn't a villain. Of course, the ruffian's lives hadn’t been spared either way considering the explosion, but—

When she thinks about it more closely, most of her anxiety in this past week really all stemmed from the fire…

That's what she was feeling this all about. Was it truly an accident?

She rolls her eyes to herself for such a nonsensical thought. That would be completely ridiculous. Of course it was.

Nobody would destroy a building full of men just to simply reconstruct a slum. It would be completely uncalled for—not to mention callous. There were much more important things that an attack like that could be used for.

Satya then realizes that she finished the route that had been long hardwired into her brain, and that she was standing unmoving in an open elevator for much too long. Fortunately, there was nobody nearby. She didn’t particularly want to deal with having to explain herself.

Pressing the button that corresponded with the final floor, her anxiety doubled in the short duration of the elevator reaching its destination. It was a smooth ride as always, but it felt as if she was spinning left and right. Trying to focus herself to listen to the mundane music playing throughout the lift, she began pacing back and forth.

She took deep breaths and focuses the best she could on clearing her thoughts. It was only a meeting. An effortless meeting. Satya did this all the time. She huffs in frustration.

The familiar _ding_ of the elevator brought her back to reality once more, as she hastily shuffles out of the elevator and into the halls. The meeting room was always in the same place, and meetings were always at the same time. Satya hopes she wasn’t late—it was a sign of being unorganized—being unable to plan ahead. Satya was many things, but she was _not_ unorganized.

Making her way to the rooms large open door frame, she peeks inside. Unfortunately, the sight shows her all that she needs to know. There were 4 other Vishkar agents along a narrow table and the man they were supposed to be negotiating within the center.

They had been waiting for her. Satya took a deep breath. She knows she's late. Vishkar is not supposed to be late.

 Satya walks in quickly, averting her eyes downward in case anyone was staring. There was still dirt on her shoes. She went to the one open space on the table and waits for someone to speak up. There was a small beat of silence before Sanjay began to his usual persuading speech.

 She couldn’t force herself to pay attention to what he was saying, rather, she found her shoes much more interesting. A newer agent taps her on the shoulder. She winces from the sudden contact and dares herself to look up until she saw a concerning look on the woman’s face.

Satya knew her name was Gabriela López. She doesn’t forget any agents names, it would cause her more harm than good. Satya recalls the woman’s first time in the workplace; she had worn the wrong uniform. Blue and gold. All architechs, while in the workplace, had to wear blue and white. Blue and gold were only for active construction taking place.

Satya wasn’t certain of the woman's punishment, she’s never worn the incorrect uniform.

The agent tilts her head in silent confusion, and that was when Satya realizes she was staring at the woman—with her mouth slightly agape—absentmindedly fidgeting with the end of her dress. She quickly flattens the fabric out and abruptly turns her attention back to the meeting.

“...and, so you see, Mr. Khatri, that is why using hard-light technology will greatly benefit you and your family’s life.” Sanjay had finishes confidently. He looks smug, perhaps his speech was better than usual. Satya wishes she listened.

The man he was talking to—Satya never heard his forename—possesses absolutely nothing that signified thinking on his expression. He was wearing a simple outfit of a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Satya thinks that's quite unprofessional for something as important as being an entire towns spokesperson.

Shortly, the man said, “We will not accept.”

It looks as if he hadn’t even washed. If he couldn’t, why wouldn’t he just let Vishkar take care of those problems for him?

Sanjay's gaze darkens for a second before it quickly brightens back up. He looks over at Satya expectantly. “Well, Ms. Vaswani, do you have any ideas?” His usual small smile was still plastered onto his face.

Satya put her head down, trying to think of what she would say. She was never good at being put in the spotlight. Not to mention all of the thoughts going through her head didn’t help her in the slightest.

“I…” Satya quiets down her tone of voice and thought for a moment. She didn’t know what to say. Satya always knew what to say. She felt the room look at her hopefully.

Suddenly, she realizes what her anxiousness was really about. The fire, the men injured.

She couldn’t let that happen again. Even if it was an accident—fear is no way to bring people to accept an offer.

Quietly, Satya murmurs, “I do not believe we should go through with this plan.”

The room was completely silent, other than the rhythmic waves of sound that the hard-light made. One of the few downsides. She could feel the heat of 5 pairs of eyes on her at once, and she hates it.

Sanjay looks at her questioningly. “Pardon?”

Satya gathers up all her courage to hang her head high and move her gaze to meet Sanjay.

More loudly, she repeats, “I do not believe we should go through with this plan.”

The silence that passes was somehow more prolonged than the first. Waves of tension fill the room, and Satya felt as if she wanted to scream. Why did she say anything? She’s going to be fired, she’ll be known for the Vishkar agent who just couldn’t keep her mouth shut—

Suddenly, the town advocate spoke up first. Satya practically sighs with relief at the broken silence.

“Even your own agents disagree with you! I think that's a clear sign that this case is closed.” Mr. Khatri scowls at no one in particular, before crossing his arms and staring down Sanjay.

Satya could feel all of the agents burning questioning gaze on her skin.

She feels awful. Her little outburst not only causes the meeting to be a lost cause, but it also made it so the other agents in the room couldn't share their opinion on the matter.

Sanjay clears his throat. “I suppose you are correct. This meeting is over.” He sent a glance towards Satya’s way. “But we will discuss this again another time. Meeting adjourned.” 

Mr. Khatri rolls his eyes before hastily making his way to the exit.

As the room fled out through the narrow doors with a fair share of aggravated glances towards Satya, she was stopped by Sanjay standing right in front of her.

Satya looks down at his shoes. They were dirty too. “Satya,” She looks up warily, expecting to see an annoyed expression looking back at her. Yet—he was still wearing that smile.

“What is your reason for interrupting our meeting?” he asks, almost as if he was fearing to physically hurt her with his words.

Satya did her best to uncomfortably look into the man's eyes. “I was simply sharing my opinion about the situation,” she affirms. She tries to keep her head up high.

She could feel the questioning look of Sanjay on her, and couldn’t help herself but to focus her attention on anywhere but him. “Yes, but,” the man pauses for a second, “Why exactly do you disagree with this course of action?”

Satya waits for a beat too long to reply, and Sanjay took this as a chance to continue talking.

He continues, "I understand you have been feeling a bit shaken up from the Rio de Janeiro mission. The fire was a travesty.” Satya nods.

“But you do understand that it was not on purpose, correct? It was not what we planned, just a…” Sanjay pauses for a moment, “Convenient turn of events.”

Thinking back to it, there would be no real advantage to blowing up a building. In fact, it would probably add more rumors to the impressive pile Vishkar had already accumulated.

Satya begins to regain her function to speak. “Of course.” She ensures him. “It is just that I do not want these citizens to be harmed again. I feel that if we cannot convince them with just our words and we must use ulterior motives, then perhaps we should avoid turning some neighborhoods into Vishkar approved areas.”

Sanjay looks at her with question marks in his eyes. “Satya, you of all people know that hard-light gives everyone a better future. These citizens are just stubborn.”

Satya glances out of the large pane windows and looks at the slowly growing crowd. Curious how it seems to get bigger over time. She looks back at the man.

“I will not tolerate anyone being harmed for the sake of our…” She waves her hand as a means to simplify their hard-light, “Construction.” Satya struggles to keep her head high against the curious man. The way he looked down on her seemed rather condescending; although she was full of delusions today.

“Ms. Vaswani, those are not our business practices,” Sanjay assures. Something in his expression seems to change. “I don’t know where this doubt is coming from. You are one of our best architechs, Satya. You’re lucky that I understand that, or you would’ve gotten some kind of punishment from any other of your superiors.”

Satya thought for a moment. What was she thinking—trying to accuse a company she owed _everything_ to of second-degree murder?

“I suppose you are correct,” Satya admits. She fidgets with a small file left on the desk. “I apologize, Sanjay. I do not know what came up of me.”

Sanjay gave a small nod. “It’s alright Satya. I don’t understand why you thought these things, but please be more wary of what you say during a meeting next time.” He stops for a second. “I’m afraid that we will have to avoid from putting you on any task rosters for the time being. Please understand.”

He spun on his heel and left the meeting room, leaving Satya to stare at the man’s back as he walked away. She was left in the familiar meeting room that had suddenly begun to feel much less cozy than before.

Satya’s head was reeling. She didn’t know what she was thinking. It was beyond question that her behavior was extremely uncalled for. Yet, there was still an odd feeling in her stomach she couldn’t stop. She shakes it off.

The explosion was, after all, a simple accident.

It was just an accident. A coincidence.

To think she might’ve been dismissed for something so… silly.

Satya sighs lightly.

Before making her way out of the meeting room, she glances once more out of the wide window. Satya could see the protesters still going strong. She couldn’t help but scrunch up her nose distastefully.

Hard-light was not perfect; even if Vishkar said it was. She knew that. Even though it was immune to fire and wear, It can still be destroyed like any other building. Along with that, the low humming sound and blue aura it made around everything was quite annoying. But, to Satya at least, it was easy to get over.

There were rebels almost every time Vishkar decided to help transform a neighborhood. It was a sight that, on her first mission, Satya found hard to digest. Now, it was almost like second nature to just ignore them. In fact, Satya would be shocked if there _weren’t_ any protesters.

Satya wishes that she could truly sympathize with the dissidents. Yet, she really could not understand for the life of her the reason for their rebellion. When she was younger, something like this would've been like a dream. She just wants to help them. Why wouldn’t they just let Vishkar help them?

She tore her gaze away from the open window, before quietly vacating the meeting room. Some time to herself was certainly needed to collect her thoughts—especially after her outburst.

While waiting for the elevator, she brings up the trips information on an easy to read screen reflecting from her prosthetic. Once her assigned task was done, she was supposed to report to a local hotel. Vishkar was a company Satya knew she trusted—albeit her very recent doubts, but their choice in places for their employees to stay was rather lackluster.

Satya quickly checks the mission file. She quirks an eyebrow at the address—she swears it was different the last time she checked. Satya doesn’t forget the details.

The original hotel she was assigned to go to was called the Kamal Hotel. It had an approximately 4.8-star rating, was an easy taxi drive away, and her room number was 147. It seems Vishkar had changed their plans—as the screen shows her an inn she never heard of before. The name was in English; she presumes it’s in a popular tourist area.

Nimbus Resort. Satya sneers at the name. It sounds as if it was made in 10 seconds. If they were going to choose something for the tourists, they could at least use a more interesting word then a type of cloud. It was much longer of a trip then one of the many options they could’ve used, but Vishkar is not known to change plans. Perhaps the original hotel didn’t have enough space for the agents.

Satya supposes it wasn’t too big a deal, but it was strange. There weren’t any customer reviews, nor photos. Satya hums absentmindedly at the odd sight. It was also quite a long distance away from her current location than expected. A longer taxi trip didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things; she would just have to make do. Although, going into a strangers car made her feel untidy. She couldn’t wait to come to her room to wash up and cleanse her mind.

Realizing the elevators doors had been open for quite some time, she took a small step inside and quickly pressed the button that corresponded to the lobby on the first floor.

Thinking about it closer, the expected arrival time to the hotel _was_ quite long. Perhaps she had to ride a bus this time around instead of a cab. Satya groans inwardly; it was one thing being in an unknown vehicle with one stranger, and it was another thing being in an unknown vehicle _full_ of strangers.

Fortunately, most people on the bus would be there for the same reason as her; business. There were no bus stops nearby, and she pulls up a small hard-light map from her prosthetic to check how far she would need to walk.

It seems the slums weren’t too far to a nearby city, which Satya was extremely thankful for. The walk would only be about 15 minutes, and she could certainly use something to clear her head.

* * *

 

Satya didn’t know what she expected when she arrived at the Nimbus Resort, but it certainly wasn’t this.

In front of her was a simple, 4 story building that looks as if nobody had stepped foot in it for years, along with similar buildings lined down the street. Satya blinks. Most of India was made of hard-light now, yet in front of her were the only structures made of completely solid matter for miles away. She wonders if Vishkar simply forgot to upgrade this street.

She frowns as she looks at the building up and down. It was worn in every way possible, with small windows lining the walls and a scratched up looking wooden door. There was certainly a reason Vishkar chose this particular hotel; she just didn’t understand it in the slightest. Despite her doubts, she walks through the creaking doors. Satya needs some time out of the public's eye—even if this area supported Vishkar, it was getting tiring.

There was, still, no life in sight. Peeking around the room, there wasn’t much of anything special besides an absolutely revolting multi-colored shag carpet. She thought those had all gone extinct by now. Satya averts her gaze to a small gridded basket filled with index cards on the front desk.

On the small notes, Satya recognizes a few Vishkar agents names; including the Gabriela woman who had looked at her with concern earlier. She grimaces at the future awkward situation. Most of the names were all new to her. Along with each name was a two-digit number she presumes to be the room. Perhaps Vishkar had rented out a for-lease building for their agents and allies. It was a bit odd they chose such a deserted building, but Satya didn't care enough to question it.

She shuffles through the cards until she found a neatly written Satya Vaswani. Squinting at the tiny number at the bottom of the pass, she found a microscopic 14. Satya tilts her head. Was there no key? Vishkar certainly had a lower budget then she thought.

Satya took one last gaze around the seemingly abandoned building. Checking the time on her touchscreen, it was only about 11 o’clock. Of course, that was relatively late, but she expected some kind of activity. Perhaps they had as much as an irksome day as she did.

Glancing to her right, she notices the suspiciously large flight of stairs for such a small looking building and sighs. Room 14—that had to be somewhere on the second floor. Satya ambles her way up the stairs, listening to her shoes slight shuffling sound along the aged, patterned carpet and the slight creaking of the stairs. Sometimes she missed the familiar buzz hard-light made; it stops the quiet from becoming too overpowering.

After seemingly ages, Satya finally found her room with a tiny key wrapped around the doorknob. The hotel owners certainly trusts no outsiders to come inside, it seems. Then again; Satya didn’t think she’d come in this place if she was put at gunpoint.

But she was tired and would do anything to just lay down. She fiddles with the key for a bit before successfully shoving it into the lock. Her room wasn’t particularly different then the rest of the building: tacky, low-budget, and smells like rust. Just being in this place made Satya feel filthy.

Satya quickly brings her suitcase out of her prosthetic. She always carried her luggage in a hard-light bag—she could easily teleport it to her at any time. Holding any kind of case for too long was tiresome, and if you asked Satya, a waste of time.

She always packs the same thing for every mission; several pairs of Vishkar approved clothing, simple undergarments, a small wallet, and her own personal hygiene products. Nothing more, nothing less. The sameness was comforting when she was long ways from home. If she ever needed anything, she could simply purchase it and leave the item when she was done with its use.

Silently unpacking the few things she needed for the night, she glances through the only window in her room. Few people were on the streets, and if they were, they didn’t want to be there.

It was funny, Satya thought, that Vishkar was still going to give her somewhere to stay for the night after what happened that evening. Perhaps she was wrong about Sanjay—he might not have told his coworkers about the situation. A wave of guilt flows over her for assuming such horrid things about the man.

Seeing her luggage open with her small amount of personal hygiene belongings neatly inside reminds her to pick up a few and check the bathroom; she desperately needs to freshen up, but this building hadn’t exactly exceeded any of her expectations.  
  
Satya bathes almost every single day; the only times she wasn’t able to was during long, tedious missions. There were few things more disgusting to her then sweat and grime. She felt pity when she saw someone who looked filthy, but she couldn’t help but look away. It made her uncomfortable.

Looking into the bathroom, she was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't nearly as trashy as she thought it would be. She looks at herself in the mirror; the bags under her eyes were starting to grow. Satya has not been resting well this past week, and a good night's sleep was definitely needed. Suddenly, a large tremor starts below her feet. An earthquake? She supposes they weren’t too uncommon in the area. Satya quickly summons a bright blue shield around herself in case anything fell. Of course it would happen the one time she wasn’t in a hard-light facility.

Suddenly, a distinct smell of charcoal, a white flash, and the sound of her barrier breaking shrouds her senses.

Satya practically flies into the air from the blast, colliding with rubble and thick smoke.

Her body crashes onto the concrete, and she couldn’t help but notice her shoes still had the specks of dust on them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wakey wakey eggs and bakey satya
> 
> sorry this took like 5 years its also kind of filler but enjoy anyways...........??????????????

When Satya next wakes up, it’s in a bland looking hospital room. With a reeling head, she sits up and examines the area. The air had an odd staleness to it as if it hadn't been breathed in for years. Dust could be seen daintily floating in the soft sunlight sifting through a nearby window, making Satya scrunch her nose at the poor ventilation. It was definitely on, as light whirrs were echoing throughout the room, but not working very well. Was this not a medical facility? This much dust had to be a health hazard. It made her feel dirty—dirtier than she already probably was. When could she get up from this bed? A shower was desperately needed.

 

Her cot was exceptionally standard, and it seems she was in a private room. It was safe to assume Vishkar paid for all of this. She couldn't wait to go back to her  _ real  _ apartment—home clears her mind from chaos. Taking a quick glance at her left, she furrows her eyebrows at the early ending of her shoulder where her prosthetic was meant to be. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. At least the steady  _ blip _ of her heart monitor was a somewhat calming sound.

 

Abruptly, her attention was brought to the light swish of an automated door opening and closing. Out walks a fair skinned, pretty woman, who had nearly platinum hair lazily put up in a ponytail. Something about her seems relatively familiar. She looks exhausted; and albeit the casual attire, Satya safely assumes that she’s one of the hospital's employees.

 

The woman’s tired eyes open wide at the sight of Satya sitting straight up in her cot, before quickly changing that to a cheerful look.

 

“Ah, Ms. Vaswani! I'm glad you're awake. How are you feeling?” She questions lightly. Satya squints at the woman's simple outfit of a black turtleneck, jeans, and…slippers? The only thing implying she may be working in a medical facility was a lab coat. Why wasn't she wearing a hospital-code uniform? Of course, she was in no position to judge, but it was still bizarre.

 

Satya lets go of the look that was beginning to make the atmosphere distinctly uncomfortable. “I am fine.”

 

The woman gave a slight smile. “I'm glad. I understand you may be a bit confused as to why you're here,” Satya nods, “but I promise you'll have the story explained to you in time. Your vitals seem to be in order, so I see no reason for an immediate check-up.” 

Satya doesn't respond, and after a brief moment of silence, the woman hastily adds, “Oh! I nearly forgot to introduce myself! I'm Dr. Ziegler, but please, just call me Angela. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Vaswani.”

 

Satya quirks her eyebrow at the casual manner of speaking—wait. Angela Ziegler? Satya recalls the name. The doctor developed the Caduceus technology; nearly the entire world used her work. Perhaps she didn't notice because of how the only public sightings of the doctor established her to be some kind of godly being. Seeing Dr. Ziegler as an average person seemed… unfitting.

 

“You are Dr. Ziegler? I did not recognize you,” Satya says with a puzzled look. Why was she being treated by Angela Ziegler? According to recent news, the woman had been traveling around the world assisting those in need.

 

The doctor flushes, “Yes, well, I'm not nearly as grand as I’m made up to be in person. To be honest, I didn't expect you to know much of anything about me.” Dr. Ziegler admits modestly.

 

It seemed as if she was trying to be humble. The doctor did a great deal for humanity; she had no reason to downplay her achievements.

 

Satya looks at the doctor unimpressed. “It is common knowledge.”

 

Dr. Ziegler turns her head away self-consciously, before giving a dry chuckle. “I suppose I’m still not quite used to this ‘famous’ thing yet, even after all these years.” Years. When she thought about it, Dr. Ziegler didn’t seem to have a sign of aging anywhere on her face. Wasn’t the woman in her late thirties?

 

She turns away abruptly, heading towards the door. “I’ll leave you to your thoughts for a bit, but I’ll be back in a couple minutes to check a few things and explain the situation.”

 

Satya watches as the doctor puts her hand on the keypad and makes her way out of the room.

 

Left to her thoughts, Satya begins fiddling around with the edge of the cot’s thin blanket. How long has she been knocked out? Vishkar doesn't like paying for their agent’s medical bills, so hopefully, it was only a day or two. There are many things Satya dislikes, and being an inconvenience has a pretty big spot on the list.

 

She begins contemplating what could've happened at the hotel. The most plausible solution had to be an explosion, considering the side effects of the attack. But who would plant a bomb in a silly low brow hotel? Perhaps it was a threat for Vishkar, but there were more non-Vishkar affiliates then not in the building. Plus, who would destroy one of the few solid matter buildings left in India if they opposed Vishkar? Either the person who thought of that plan wasn't very bright, or that wasn't what happened. Satya went with the latter. Hopefully Dr. Ziegler would explain what really went on, but for now, she was left to grasp on straws.

 

It was a safe bet that Satya lost her belongings in the blast. A sharp pang of sadness left as soon as it came. Although she had those particular objects for a while, they could be replaced. There was no use being sentimental about it, like with most things.

 

Accidentally taking another glance to the nub on her left, she averts her eyes quickly. She misses her prosthetic dearly; she can't lie about that. It's how she functions in daily life, she uses it for almost everything she can. Of course, she's broken it before, but that didn't make losing it feel any better. She remembers clearly the first time she needed to replace her prosthetic; it took about four days because they had to remeasure everything. But now, it usually took less than a day to get it back. It was only a minor inconvenience, and she had no reason to be wary about it.

 

She doesn't feel any pain except for a slight aching in her bones; perhaps that's what happens when the Angela Ziegler is personally treating you. Whatever the reason for that still remained a complete mystery. Did Vishkar contact the doctor specifically for Satya’s recovery? Was she tired of the ‘traveling to help those in need’ shtick? Did the woman settle down at a local town? It would be odd for her to stay in India and not Switzerland—they were still in India, right? Bringing Satya’s unconscious body to a different country seemed incredibly unnecessary—though logic was thrown completely out the window quite a while ago, so it wasn't impossible.

 

The automated door opens once again, revealing Dr. Ziegler holding a clipboard seemingly filled to its limit with papers. It seems unorganized. How could she use something so messy? Really, Satya would never understand those people.

 

Satya watches her walk over to a nearby cabinet to take out a few basic medical supplies. Quickly, she comes over to Satya’s cot and gives her a small nod in greeting. She unbinds the top of the board, takes a pen out from the clip, and licks her finger to quickly turn to a certain form and take it out.

 

“Alright. According to your vitals, you're completely healed. You might feel a slight ache, but we did heal you in a bit of a hurry, so don't worry about it.” Dr. Ziegler was still studying the forms intently. Why was she using papers anyways? There were much better options for storing data.

 

“How long was I unconscious?" Satya asks.

 

Dr. Ziegler hums as if she was thinking as to how to answer the question. “About 2 weeks. You had quite a bit of a fall.” She stops for a moment, “Speaking of that, I'm sure you've come to the conclusion that there was a bomb. But, you have no side effects of any kind of explosion.” The woman had a curious look on her face. “Did you do anything to negate the damage?”

 

Satya debates internally about explaining to the doctor what happened, but she has no reason not to tell her.

 

“The ground beneath my feet started to shake, so I believed it to be an earthquake. I summoned a shield around myself, and it absorbed all of the blast's damage.” Satya replies calmly.

 

The doctor scribbles something onto her form and nods nonchalantly. She tries to utter a word before Satya interrupts her.

 

“I would like to know why there was a bomb in the first place,” she said, sitting up a bit straighter on the cot.

 

Dr. Ziegler blinks awkwardly. “I understand you must be very confused about the situation, but I was told to send these forms to my associates as soon as possible,” she says sternly.

 

Satya looks at her impassive. “If I have been unable to give them information for two weeks, I am sure that they can wait another five minutes.”

 

Sighing, Dr. Ziegler puts down the pen and clipboard—Satya didn't think the doctor would give up  _ that _ easily, although, she couldn’t complain. Dr. Ziegler begins the explanation half-heartedly. “Talon confirmed a few hours after the attack that they were the cause. Unfortunately, other then that, we know very little about the situation.” She clears her throat. “We don't know why they targeted that specific building or the people inside. There were Talon sightings reported nearby, so agents were sent to search the area. Yet, nothing was discovered.”

 

She looks at the doctor confused. “Talon makes their intentions very clear whenever they attack. What would they have against a handful of Vishkar agents and civilians?”

 

“I’m not sure. although some people are speculating that Talon has some sort of feud against Vishkar now. Really, it’s a situation very unlike Talon.” Dr. Ziegler is scanning her papers intently while she spoke. What was so important that was on the forms? Satya supposes she can't complain, she won't have to make unwanted eye contact, but it seems quite impolite.

 

Satya sits analyzing the small bits of information given to her, before picking up on the fact that the doctor said ‘agents.’ There were hardly any groups fighting against Talon, and the ones that were left have too few members to actually do anything.

 

“What group were the agents a part of?”

 

Dr. Ziegler finally looks up from her paper. “Pardon?”

 

“You said agents were scanning for Talon activity. What was the group they were involved with?” Satya inquires.

 

The doctor looks at Satya for a second before putting her hand to her forehead and trying to hide a groan. Satya hears her mutter something under her breath. “Right, right, of course. But—uhm—give me a second please, I'm getting an important call. I'll answer right when I come back.”

 

Satya looks at her in doubt. The communicator in her ear was visible, although barely, so at least the woman had a chance of telling the truth. “You told me I had to be treated to as soon as possible.”

 

Dr. Ziegler shuffles quickly to the sliding door. “Yes, you're correct of course, but those same people who told me to do that are the ones calling. You'll live without me for now, no?”

 

Satya looks at her curiously. “I thought my situation was not dire? I am sure I will be fine.”

 

“Oh, right. Of course. Don't worry, I'll be back in a minute, I promise.” She turns awkwardly, lets the fingerprint detecting password do its magic, and hastily leaves the room.

 

The door has a small glass window on it, so Satya looks through and narrows her eyes as she watches the doctor walk down the hall with two fingers on her earpiece. At least she was  _ actually _ taking a call. That was a good sign.

 

She could’ve tried to listen, but the walls were completely soundproof. Either way, it would be an invasion of privacy—and she would only be hearing Dr. Ziegler speak.  Perhaps an interruption was necessary to absorb the few bits of information she obtained.

 

It wasn't like she expected a full-blown analysis of the situation, (even though she did), but she thought there would be something… more. How could absolutely nothing be known when there were apparently ‘agents’ scanning the area, and multiple others who were in the hotel to ask. It really didn't make any sense!

  
  


The lack of information towards the crime was relatively… disturbing, to say the least. A crime with no evidence is incredibly frustrating, even more so when it's by  _ Talon _ . You know, the terrorist group that doesn't try very hard to keep their presence a secret. What is so different this time? Still, even with that itty bitty hindrance of Talon not doing their usual oversharing, there has got to be something. None of the others residing at the hotel saw  _ anything _ ? It seems highly unlikely.

 

Dr. Ziegler’s phone call had incredibly bad timing. It’s understandable she had to answer, though, considering she  _ is  _ a medical prodigy. She must be incredibly busy. Overthinking wasn’t necessary when the doctor would be back in a minute or so, but it couldn’t be helped. Satya has had to completely rely on her for everything, and to be frank, it was getting annoying.

 

As the doctor promised, she comes back in a minute, looking (somehow) more exhausted than the last time she entered the room.

 

Dr. Ziegler tucks a strand of loose hair behind her ear and treads over to Satya’s cot. “Alright, sorry about that. Just some business things, I’m you know how it is.” She chuckles dryly.

 

Ignoring whatever small talk the doctor had for her, Satya repeats dully, “What group were the agents a part of?”

 

The doctor clasps her hands together, “Ah, yes. Well, It’s a bit difficult to explain, but they were apart of my... past ‘affiliation.’” She waves her hand around to accentuate the word, making it clear what she meant.

 

Satya stares at the woman in disbelief. Is she joking? She looks serious. Her “past affiliation”? Why in the world would Overwatch be reinstated? Not only was any activity of the group completely illegal, only a fool would somehow bring it back.

 

“Overwatch.” she questions.

 

Dr. Ziegler tilts her head to begin a seemingly long conversation. “Well—”

 

“All Overwatch activity is strictly prohibited under the Petras Act. You were there when it happened live. Why would there be agents from a long shut down organization?” Satya asks skeptically.

 

Tsking, Dr. Ziegler nods her head solemnly. “You’re correct, of course, but some thought it would be a… good idea to reform it, what with all of the worldly threats going around lately. It seems awfully pointless to me, but I have no real state in the matter.” She looks over to the small window, her shoulders tensed.

 

Satya tilts her head. Why would the doctor tell her this? She could easily just tell Vishkar about it and get it shut down. She supposes it wouldn’t be a large issue; considering the doctor didn’t seem to care much about the group any longer.

 

Questioning the doctors wavering confidence, she asks, “Are you participating?”

 

Dr. Ziegler sighs and looks back at Satya. “Yes, well, that’s what I’m—um—supposed to tell you.” She shuffles awkwardly before quickly straightening her posture. “You see, you’re currently in Gibraltar. We were able to keep your vitals stable enough during the trip from India, and we—well, brought you here.”

 

The incredulous look Satya gives her allows her to continue. “I am not part of Overwatch. I’m just… staying here for a while, since there are currently no other medics.”

 

“What happened to the other members of the hotel? Surely you couldn’t have brang every single survivor to another continent? That seems incredibly inconvenient.” Satya asks critically.

 

With that, the doctor’s face became oddly serious. “Ms. Vaswani, there—were no other survivors.”

 

What?

 

How…?

 

“We were able to find the bodies, but—”

 

Satya drifts away from whatever the doctor had to say.

 

There were so many names on the cards.

 

It’s not possible. There are always survivors.

 

It’s not possible. 

 

She  _ can’t  _ be the only one. She could’ve helped them, could’ve made a bigger barrier, but she didn’t.

 

But she didn’t.

It’s all her fault.

 

A flaming hot touch reaches for her shoulder, and Satya jolts away.

 

The ventilation grows louder. The heart monitor is going  _ way too fast _ . The doctor’s voice tries to cut into her thoughts. A shuffling of feet.

 

Her muffled voice speaks up again, and Satya covers her ears.

 

It’s all her fault.

 

Satya takes deep breaths as Vishkar told her. Act normal. You’re fine. She squeezes her eyes shut.

 

In and out.

 

What did Dr. Ziegler think of this? Unprofessional, acting up in front of someone so refined.

 

It’s all her fault.

 

Act normal.

 

She tears her hands off her ears and forces her eyes open. The room was coming back into place, albeit slowly. Satya continues her deep breaths. What would Vishkar think of this? Dr. Ziegler is going to tell them all about it, she’s going to be in even more trouble—

 

“Ms. Vaswani? Are you alright now?” The doctor's voice asks softly. She offers a small paper cup and Satya hesitantly accepts.

 

Deep breaths. Focus. It’s rude not to answer her question.

 

Staring down into the water, she lets the silence prolong a bit longer before answering, “Yes, I apologize. I do not know what came over me.”

 

The doctor gives her a sympathetic look. God, she probably thought Satya was a mess.

 

“It’s quite alright.” She shakes her head and tuts. “Really, I should be the one apologizing. I was very... sudden. I should have been more gentle with my wording.”

 

What?  _ Gentle _ ? She wasn’t a child. Did the doctor now think she had to dull things down for her? Satya supposes that it would make sense if she did, considering that this first impression wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. 

 

Softly, she asks, “Are you alright? Do you need me to go? I can—”

 

“I am fine.” She was still a bit shaky, but it was nothing.

 

The doctor looks incredibly skeptical, but sighs and fortunately decides to drop the subject. After a beat of awkward silence, Dr. Ziegler continues what she was saying as if nothing had happened. “We tried our hardest to save the others, but there’s only so much we can do.” She stares at the window, then at Satya. “You’re very lucky, you know.”

 

Satya tilts her head and replies dully, “Yes, I understand.”

 

“The families of those who passed could only hope to see their loved ones get your chance.” She clears her throat uncomfortably. “I’m used to being called the ‘savior’ against death, but even I didn’t believe you would survive. Really, you shouldn’t thank me for anything. We were about to leave before an agent found you in the rubble—Overwatch saved your life. I hope you will remember that.” 

 

It took a moment to realize what the doctor’s random monologue was alluding to. Right, of course. Despite what Satya would like to believe, it  _ would  _ be dishonorable to tattle on the organization that saved her life. However, Vishkar has helped her move on in the world more than anywhere else. Even a white lie can be credited as serious disrespect, and something as serious as this couldn’t just be ignored.

 

“I will think on it.”

 

Dr. Ziegler’s face became unreadable. “Very well.”

 

The doctor chicken scratches one last thing onto her clipboard and then started to scroll through data silently on a holo-screen. At least the doctor had  _ something _ made from the last couple decades. Light air ventilation whirs through the room and brings a distinctly tensely pause with it.

 

“We will try to get you back to Vishkar as soon as possible, but there are no promises as to when. They've replied, but...” Squinting at the small printed letters, she backs up from the screen and cuts off what she was saying beforehand. “I hope you don’t mind. It's a bit difficult to get a corporation to pick up one of their most competent employees by an anonymous email.” 

 

Satya stays silent for a moment. “It’s understandable. Vishkar does not fall for scams that are like these. I am shocked you’re getting a response.”

 

Not to mention, Satya wasn’t exactly an all-star employee anymore. Why would Vishkar reply to a potentially dangerous email just to retrieve her?

 

“I suppose they really want you back.” She gives a small forced smile.

 

The streams of quiet tension fall back over.

 

Satya takes a small glance to her left. Trying her best to not sound destitute, she asks, “When will my prosthetic be fixed?” 

 

The doctor breaths in quickly through her teeth. “Yes, about that…” she tears her gaze away from the screen. “Your arm was top secret Vishkar technology, and it was completely destroyed. There’s nothing about it anywhere, not even a blueprint. So, we can give you something temporary, but as of now we cannot replace it with a carbon copy.” Something in her look softens. “We’ll try to get it back as soon as possible.”

 

Of course. Satya was in an  _ Overwatch _ facility with an old  _ Overwatch _ agent who’s part of a new  _ Overwatch _ reenactment. How could she forget. At least there would be some kind of prosthetic headed her way, though she has no real clue as to how this unofficial Overwatch has enough money to spend for it. Maybe she should just stop questioning things now.

 

“If you would like, I could get a room for you. It’s a bit early for that considering you just woke up, but you’re perfectly healthy.” She inquires, voice laced with concern. “I see no reason for you to stay in here, and I can tell them that.”

 

What was with all the sudden sympathy? Satya didn’t need people to feel bad for her. If anything, she deserves this. 

 

“Ms. Vaswani?”

 

She doesn’t need hospitality. Especially not from some illegal getup trying to be heroes again.

 

“No. I can stay here. By the time I wake up tomorrow, Vishkar will already be ready to pick me up.” 

 

That wasn’t  _ really _ a lie. Vishkar had no reason that they would want to bring her back, but considering they responded to the email, they had to want something with her. Not to mention the fact that the doctor had already did way too much for her. Getting a room would be way too much of an inconvenience. Though, a shower would be nice.

 

The doctor looks at her with an odd expression. “There are no promises that they will Ms. Vas—“

 

“They will come.” She quickly interrupts.

 

“If you’re certain. I suppose you would know more about Vishkar than I.”

 

Dr. Ziegler waves away her screen and begins to head slowly towards the door.

 

“There’s a small button on the side table. It will let me know whenever you buzz it. Don’t hesitate to press it if you need any help.” She informs gently.

 

Satya stays silent. Why would she need her help? Really, why would the doctor even help her anyway? She  _ did _ say just moments ago she wouldn’t hesitate to tell Vishkar about all of this. 

 

The doctor stands dumbly near the door. “I’ll, um, leave you to your thoughts.”

 

Yet they saved her life. Satya isn’t a bad person, she knows this. Telling Vishkar about this would be something a bad person would do.

 

She flicks an old looking light switch, bringing the room into an appreciated darkness. An odd look on her face was seen before she scans her hand and leaves the room, pristine lab coat trailing behind her.

 

But Vishkar saved her life too. Keeping something as huge as this a secret would certainly get her more in trouble than somehow even before, and it’d be dishonorable to everything she knows

 

Satya lies stiff on the uncomfortable cot, listening to the heart monitor grow faster as she forces her eyes shut. She quietly sobs until exhaustion takes over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmmmmmmmmmmm


End file.
